Mill's autobiography deals primarily with the life of the mind - but it is a mind which ranks as one of the most remarkable and significant of the nineteenth century. The book memorably depicts the emergence of a brilliant child prodigy, the product of an extraordinary education which both hastened his development and brought him to the brink of suicide by the age of 21.

Your Likes make Audible better!

Publisher's Summary

Mill's autobiography deals primarily with the life of the mind - but it is a mind which ranks as one of the most remarkable and significant of the nineteenth century. The book memorably depicts the emergence of a brilliant child prodigy, the product of an extraordinary education which both hastened his development and brought him to the brink of suicide by the age of 21. Illumined with equal clarity is the story of John Stuart Mill's renewed commitment to life, and of the further conflicts which marked his long evolution toward maturity as a major philosopher and social thinker.

Superb in its dispassionate objectivity, the Autobiography stands as a work of enduring relevance and a final testament to a rare and luminous intelligence.

I found the audiobook very interesting, but I was already a fan of John Stuart Mill. Anyone who is curious about the intellectual aspects of John Stuart Mill's life will find this book very satisfying. I found it particularly fascinating to hear about his extraordinary unorthodox home education, as well as his views on education overall. Since John Stuart Mill would have had a British accent, I would have preferred a British narrator. Nevertheless, the American narrator did a great job speaking so quickly as to keep the pace at a rate which made listening very easy. JSM did not have a dramatic, adventurous, swashbuckling life, but that is part of his charm; he was a fantastic thinker, a brilliant mind. I loved the book. I gained valuable insights into the man.

... incredibly dry at points purely due to the preponderance of utterly dull minutiae about matters I find it impossible to care about. It is little wonder Stuart entered into a severe state of despondency for a time. Were it not for the details of this rather interesting mental breakdown I would have rated this clumsy attempt to share a life a single star.

Your report has been received. It will be reviewed by Audible and we will take appropriate action.

Can't wait to hear more from this listener?

You can now follow your favorite reviewers on Audible.

When you follow another listener, we'll highlight the books they review, and even email* you a copy of any new reviews they write. You can un-follow a listener at any time to stop receiving their updates.

* If you already opted out of emails from Audible you will still get review emails by the listeners you follow.